Things to do & places to visit in Karagandy Province, Kazakhstan

Karagandy Province #4 destination in Kazakhstan 2023. The average rating score is 4.52 based on 653 traveler reviews, of 76 attractions. Timezone: Asia/Almaty, current date and time: Friday, May 10, 2024, 4:31.

Karagandy Province Weather Statistics view more »

General weather summary in May

67°F - 40°F

Temperature Highs - Lows

Moderately chilly and breezy

Feels like

18%

Chance of rain

50.0 millimeters

Amount

15.5 mph

Wind speed

51%

Humidity

15.3

Daylight length

5:23 AM

Sunrise

8:44 PM

Sunset

56%

Cloud cover

Sweater

What to wear

Top things to do (21)

Top destinations in Karagandy Province 18

See more 6 destinations »

Top places to visit (30 attractions) view more »

5.0 Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Fatima (46 reviews)
- Opened in 2012
Churches & Cathedrals

The cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Fatima erected in Karaganda and opened in september 2012, is the biggest cathedral in Central Asia. Many countries helped build it and donations have been received not only from Kazakhstan but also from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, America and even South Africa. The cathedral was initially meant to “become a memorial to victims of Karlag (Karaganda labor camp of Stalinist era), a place of prayer for the victims of the totalitarian regime. Construction of the cathedral in Karaganda started in 2003. See more..
5.0 K. Stanislavskiy Drama Theatre (19 reviews)
- Simply beautiful
Theaters

I was here last night with my colleagues. We were treated to a jaw-dropping performances of a mix of belly, Kazakh, and ballet dances. The theatre itself is an ingenious intricacy of performance spaces. As is usual here, decor comes uppermost in everything. Colour, artistry, and architecture blend together to materialize into inspiring performance spaces. Enjoyable just to be here. Nearby is the Central Park. See more..
5.0 Ecomuseum (13 reviews)
- Please do touch the exhibits
Speciality Museums

Nice little museum - it seems like a place where bits and pieces were brought together out of passion. I did find out a few things. You can touch just about anything and take photos, while the entrance fee was very cheap as well. It's fun, feels a bit like exploring grandma's attic, maybe if grandma was a nuclear scientist. The entrance is not obvious. Just go where google maps takes you and then enter the building with the mosaics on the left. There is another institution there, but you'll also see the museum. See more..
5.0 Monument Nurken Abdirov (10 reviews)
- Monument to a brave WW2 pilot
Spent < 1 hour Monuments & Statues

Nurken Abdirov was born in Karaganda, and lived between 1919-1942. He died at the Battle of Stalingrad.He was a pilot, who with his co-pilot, crashed their plane into a column of enemy tanks after he realised that the plane was going down. For this "kamikaze" effort, he was awarded hero of the Soviet Union. The sculpture shows Nurken intently staring downward as if looking for a target. we thought that this was a great memorial that perfectly captured the story. The area behind the memorial has beautiful flower beds and is well maintained. Bus 53 stops very close to the monument. The monument is accessible 24 hours and free, There are many f&b options in this area. The nearest attraction is the circus which is on Ulitsa Voinov-Internatsionalistov. See more..
5.0 Temirtausky City Local Lore and History Museum (9 reviews)
- Temirtau under a roof.
Friday: 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM Speciality Museums

A place summarising the meallurgical history of Temirtau. COme here for a deeper understanding of this mining town. Have a glimpse into the country's president's ealry life. See more..
5.0 Bektau-Ata Mountain Area (7 reviews)
- Wonder and grandeur
Mountains

These mountains are full of pulsating energy waiting to pump into you! They also hold many sacred tales, of fertility, of promise, of hope fulfilled. I understood why just standing on them. Lying on the bare rocky outcrops infused us with this inexplicable energy and joy. In a land that is flat as flat as the ocean, the mountains are a feature of great beauty and wonder. The rocks are eroded and sculpted,by wind rain and snow, into all the curious shapes and formations. We could see "lions, ants, dinosaurs, human skulls, cars, and even ancient committee meetings"! Felt like the rocks were living, breathing. Also charming is the botany of the place. Could not stop clicking my camera! Get here in summer to enjoy the full glory. June to September are good. And on this trip, stop by at the restaurant near the main road for a meal of the Lake Balkhash fried fish! Yummmmmmy! See more..
5.0 A.S. Pushkin Monument (6 reviews)
- Monument to a Great Poet
Spent < 1 hour Monuments & Statues

Alexander Pushkin lived between 1799-1837, and is considered one of Russia's greatest poets. His statue is located on Mira Boulevard. This area may be reached by taking mashrutka # 13, as the bus stop is opposite the monument. A young Pushkin is shown seated on a bench, and staring intently whist holding his neck scarf with his right hand. The sculpture seems to be missing a lady on the bench, who Pushkin could be reciting his poems to. It is a well done sculpture, and we were happy that we visited it, as we missed seeing his statue in Astana. Pushkin was an eccentric person, who was said to have shot a pistol at a wall in his house every morning that he awoke. He was involved in at least 26 duels. His grandfather was of African descent, and was brought to the Russia by the Czar Peter the Great. His first poem was released at age 17. His poems were critical of the Monarchy, and this led to constant scrutiny by the Czar, Aexander 1,who eventually exiled him. This is a beautifully shaded area and a pleasant walk to the other monuments nearby.Other nearby attractions include Abay Statue, Monument to cosmonauts and Saken Seifullin statue. See more..
5.0 Holy Cross Church (6 reviews)
- На бугре
Churches & Cathedrals

Новый красивый храм, был заложен Высокопреосвященнейшим Мефодием Митрополитом Астанайским и Алматинским в апреле 2004 года. Ныде действующий, красивое здание. See more..
5.0 Sculpture Suyunshi (5 reviews)
- Interesting monument and scuptures
Spent < 1 hour Monuments & Statues

This monument is located approximately 3 1/2 kilometers south of the Railway Station.It is best reached by bus # 40, which passes the monument, but you will have a 10 minute walk back on Universitet Street after exiting the bus. The monument is in a busy section where three streets intersect i.e. Buqar-Jyrau Avenue, Prikanalnaya Street, Universitet Street. It can be seen from a distance, and is a tall columnar structure on top of which there is a ball. The column seemed to be constructed of twelve separate smaller columns with space in between each of the columns. On top of the ball, is a horse seemingly in the act of galloping with tail outstretched, and a rider with both hands extended. This reminded us of the riding tricks performed in the Russian circuses. At the base of the statue were twelve sculptures (one for each section of the column) of animals e.g. snake, camel, cow, horse. We thought that it was a well done sculpture. It is a popular area for newly weds to take photos, and we had to try taking pictures whilst avoiding the wedding party, which was quite difficult.This area is free and accessible 24 hours. There are many attractions nearby including, Central Mosque, Ethno Park, Roman Catholic cathedral, Victory Park and the Flagstaff. See more..
5.0 Geological Museum (5 reviews)
- Красота камня
Spent More than 3 hours Speciality Museums • Natural History Museums • Science Museums

Музей на втором этаже управления Казнедра, к сожалении часто не работает. Здесь собрана большая коллекция богатств края, агаты, аметисты, есть даже ваза из русского чароита и конечно алмазы с севера страны, очень маленькие, лежат под линзой. Недооцененный музей, так как многие про него не знают, а на самом деле - содержит коллекцию минералов мирового уровня. See more..
5.0 Church of the Intercession (5 reviews)
- Отличные впечатления
Friday: Churches & Cathedrals

Красивый храм украинской греко-католической церкви, один из крупнейших в Караганде и органично вписывающийся в ее архитектуру See more..
5.0 Church of Peter and Pavel (4 reviews)
- Храм в парке
Points of Interest & Landmarks • Religious Sites • Churches & Cathedrals

Очень красивый храм, построенный из дерева, прекрасно выглядин на восходе солнца, русская культура, Кижи в Караганде. Главное здание строили в Омске и перевозили в разобранном виде, еще в Храме есть помещение в нижнем пределе. Красиво. See more..
5.0 Temple of the Icon of Our Lady Skoroposlushnitsa (3 reviews)
- Храм в городе-спутнике Караганды - Шахтинске
Religious Sites • Churches & Cathedrals

Храм возведен в новое время, в начале девяностых. Радует, что появилось место для демонстрации православной веры в этом регионе. Храм достаточно красив.
Храм возведен в новое время, в начале девяностых. Радует, что появилось место для демонстрации православной веры в этом регионе. Храм достаточно красив. See more..
5.0 Saryarka - Steppe and Lakes of Northern Kazakhstan (3 reviews)
- Невероятно красивая казахская степь !)
Nature & Wildlife Areas

Невероятно красивая казахская степь и разнообразие птиц в заповеднике поражает . Место очень сложно назвать туристическим, дорог и прочих удобств нет .. Но, именном в этом весь кайф !
Невероятно красивая казахская степь и разнообразие птиц в заповеднике поражает . Место очень сложно назвать туристическим, дорог и прочих удобств нет .. Но, именном в этом весь кайф ! See more..
5.0 Devils Lake (2 reviews)
- Легенда
Bodies of Water

Это самое загадочное и красивейшее озеро в горно-лесном массиве.Существует легенда, что красивая девушка гуляя обранила свой головной убор - каркару, из украшавших изумрудов, возникли горы, бриллианты стали прекрасными озерами. В 1905 году архиерей Михаил установил на берегу крест, но потом кто-то сбросил его в воду и озеро стало называться Чертовым. На самом деле озеро трудно найти, тому кто не знает дороги - часто люди плутали и не могли подойти к берегу, озеро как бы прячется в скалах. В наше время уже появился хорошо обозначенный маршрут от спортивного комплекса дома отдыха шахтер. На гранитных камнях обозначены стрелки и сделаны пирамидки из камней на всем протяжении. Для экстремалов - рекомендую совершить прогулку босиком и ещё в засушливые годы могут пересыхать ручьи и тогда запас воды лучше взять с собой. Желаю незабываемого путешествия. See more..
5.0 Memorial to the Prisoners of Karlag (2 reviews)
- Quiet place to sit and ponder
Spent < 1 hour Monuments & Statues

This is a place to go, collect your thoughts and pay respects. For that, it helps that it's far away from everything. Practically we got there by Yandex. Don't do like us, but ask the driver to wait. You cannot call a yandex to get you back from there. We ended up walking for like 5 kilometers and hitchhiking to the first village where yandex finally was available. But I am happy we went, it is impactful. The quiet, the wind, the wonderful monuments put up by dozens of countries, showing how each of them grieves. It's unlike any other place I've seen. See more..
5.0 Alley of Pines Planted by Cosmonauts (2 reviews)
- Tree planting
Spent < 1 hour Points of Interest & Landmarks

This place is connected with one of the old traditions of Soviet cosmonautics. In 1973-1979 Soviet cosmonauts made a small contribution to the landscaping of the city of Zhezkazgan - for memory of the successful return to earth they arrested pine on cosmonauts alley . In 1991 this tradition was renewed, 20 tablets with the names of cosmonauts planting pines were installed. See more..
4.5 KarLag / Museum of Political Repression Victims’ Memory of the Dolinka Settlement (71 reviews)
- Must see in Karaganda
Speciality Museums

Really well made museum. It manages to convey both information and emotion. It does not feel kitschy or preachy and is quite accessible even if you only speak Russian. We got there by taxi. We paid for the tickets and received an English speaking guide. Do take your photos during the guided trip, you cannot explore without being accompanied by a guide. The exhibits themselves are impactful and tell about different aspects of what happened. Some of them are quite effective. Unfortunately, there are no books for sale about the topic but maybe that change sin the future. To return, we took a bus near the museum. And then another one. People were very helpful. If you go to Karaganda, do check this one out. See more..
4.5 Monument Mining Glory (41 reviews)
- Interesting place
Spent < 1 hour Points of Interest & Landmarks • Monuments & Statues

The symbol of the city representing the workers in the mines. It is located in the very city center, in the middle of Boulevard Myra. See more..
4.5 Independence Stele (39 reviews)
- Independence stele
Points of Interest & Landmarks • Monuments & Statues

Nice monument which replaced the monument of Lenin. The monument is located in front of Akimat building (city governor). Across the road you can find cascade fountains. See more..
4.5 Regional Central Mosque (33 reviews)
- Breathtakingly beautiful
Points of Interest & Landmarks

Visible on the skyline from some distance, this mosque is outstandingly beautifully designed. It's blue and white colour against the snowy surrounds makes it look as though it is from a fairy tale. We did not go inside, just enjoyed the walk up to the front entrance. We also enjoyed seeing it daily on our travels. See more..
4.5 Lake Balkhash (32 reviews)
- Balki
Bodies of Water

Lake Balkhash is a bit of a drive from everywhere but once you get there it is quite beautiful. Not your usual lake/beach vacation style place, lots of fishing going on here as that is a main industry of the area. Still friendly people, nice sandy beach, warm-ish water but murky just from silt, lots of people with rods catching dinner, good bit of infrastructure in the community and we had a fun day and night here. See more..
4.5 Karaganda Regional Museum (28 reviews)
- Must see and must do
Spent 1-2 hours Speciality Museums

We checked out the Karaganda Regional Museum about a week ago when in the city and it is a great place to visit! Very well set up, great guides, helpful material, lots in English too and a wonderful array of artifacts and culturally important exhibits of the region and its vibrant history. Of course they have to recognize the bad with the good so mentioned is the Karlag but if we weed out things that make us uncomfortable then we are not going to react when it starts to happen again so it is important to remember. The Hall of Space is fun to see as this country is rich in space exploration history from launches to cosmonauts and all sorts of space related items. Truly happy that we made the effort to visit the museum, it is great for all ages and we will be back. See more..
4.5 Vvedenskiy Cathedral (23 reviews)
- Must be see
Churches & Cathedrals

One of the most interesting churches of Kazakhstan. Crowded all the day long and surrounded by a very beautiful garden with roses. Very suggestive the paintings within the building. See more..
4.5 Central Park of Culture and Rest (23 reviews)
- Nice park to run or relax
Spent More than 3 hours Parks

Nice park arond a small but artificial lake - many attractions for children - quiet and peaceful athmoshpere See more..
4.5 Monument to Cosmonautics (14 reviews)
- Tribute to Gagarin and all cosmonauts
Spent < 1 hour Points of Interest & Landmarks • Monuments & Statues

Nice monument reflecting to the explorations of Gagarin and other cosmonauts. Most of them stayed in the beautiful Hotel Chaika not far from the monument. In Karaganda there is still a landing zone for cosmonauts coming back from ISS. Often there is a new launch of a Soyuz missile. The monument is part of the old Soviet propaganda. See more..
4.5 Karaganda Regional Museum of the Fine Arts (10 reviews)
- English please
Art Museums

Can anybody writes in English so that ppl can understand you all? Can anybody writes in English so that ppl can understand you all? Can anybody writes in English so that ppl can understand you all? See more..
4.5 Eternal Flame (10 reviews)
- Usual for its type
Spent 1-2 hours Historic Sites • Points of Interest & Landmarks • Architectural Buildings • Monuments & Statues

Not as impressive as others of its kind. Was surprised to see kids playing around and skating on it. Not a lot of reverence going on. The artwork is worth checking out especially if you are interested in anything Soviet. See more..
4.5 Monument to Fallen Miners (9 reviews)
- The heart of Karaganda Center city
Spent < 1 hour Monuments & Statues

This monument dominates the cityscape on Bukhar Zhirau Street. Two miners holding a big coal chuck up, dark as if darkened by the very coal they mined. It is a touching monument, speaking of the great importance of coal and its mining to the city. Facing the Cultural Centre building across from them, the miners seem to be competing for the glittery glory endowed upon the cultural folks while they are engulfed in soot, smog and dust of mining. Behind them is the biggest park in Karaganda, with fountains and bright petalled flowers in summer, as if in compensation. However one interprets the monument its statement stands etched in time: :We are the roots of this city. We are strong and resilient. We are here to stay. We won't let you forget us." See more..
4.5 Statue of Lenin (9 reviews)
- Must see monument hidden behind the local cinema
Points of Interest & Landmarks • Monuments & Statues

Don't visit Karaganda with so many Soviet symbols without visiting the statue of Lenin, hidden in a small park behind the Lenina Cinema. The statue was originally placed on the Bukhar Zhyrau Avenue. See more..